Improvement in rail fences



1. w. MATHEWS.

Rail-Fences.

Patented April 8,1873.

AM W0 rO-LITHOG UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

JOHN W. MATHEWS,OF KILBOURN, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAIL FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,701, dated April 8, 1873; application filed March 29, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin g and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a fence, as

will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing a corner of my fence with post for straight fence,

and also for the panel when the bars are to be let down. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the corner-post; and Fig. 3 shows the construction of the post when used on inclined ground or on the side of a hill.

The fence-posts or supports for the rails forming the panels of my fence each consist of a sill, A,-two upright bars, B B, and two braces, O O. The sill A is to be made of any suitable length toform a firm and steady support on both sides of the fence. The two bars or standards B B,are secured in an upright position at right angles to the sill A, and such a distance apart in the center of the sill as to leave just suflicient room for the rails to be inserted between them. The lower ends of the bars or standards B B,are let into the sill A, and then nails, screws, or bolts passed through the thus joined portions to unite them firmly and securely together, as shown. The upper ends of the standards are let into and nailed or otherwise fastened to a cap-piece, D, which thus unites these ends of the standards firmly together. The lower endsof the braces G (tare in like manner firmly secured to the sill A,a suitable distance from its ends, and the upper ends of the braces are slantingly let into and nailed or otherwise fastened to the standards B B, the extreme ends of the braces bearing against a cross-piece, E, let into and secured to the standards a suitable distance below thecap-piece D. G G represent the rails, the ends of which from adjoining panels are placed alternately between the standards B B, and fit in alternate notches made in the inner sides of said rails, as shown at a a, Fig. 1,-and the bottom rail is notched, as shown at b, same figure, to fit on the sill,-whereby the rails are all held sufficiently firm in the fenceposts. G G represent the top rails of the fence, the ends of which from adjoining panels are halved into each other and placed between the standards B B, and between the cap-piece D. and cross-piece E, so that the top of the fence will be of uniform height. At the corners, or where angles are desired in the fence, the same post is used, only the standards B B I are as much further apart as will allow the rails of the two panels to pass between them alternately at the proper angle, and they may be notched into the sill and standards, as'

above described. At the panel where it is desired to have bars to let down, the posts are to have three standards, as shown at E, Fig. 1,'with cross-bars E E at suitable intervals let into the standards in the same manner and parallel with the cross-bar E. Upon these cross-bars E, between two of the standards, the rails of the adjoining panel are supported and held by being notched into them, if desired, while the bars are supported by the same cross-bars in the spaces formed by the third standard.

In Fig. 3 I have shown my fence-post adapted to a hill-side or inclined ground, it being constructed in precisely the same manner as above described, with the exception that the sill A is at an angle with the standards B B, and one brace, O, shortened and the other correspondingly lengthened.

Under ordinary circumstances the fence thus constructed will be firm enough without being staked to the ground; but if it is desired to so fasten it pins d d are passed through the ends of the sills into the ground, said sillends being beveled, as shown, for that purpose.

When used as a prairie-fence, where but three or four rails are required, the rails would restuponthecross-bars,eachrailbeingnotched adapted for straight fence, corners, side-hill firmly in place.

Having thus fully described my invention,

.on the outside so as to hold the standards fence, and bars, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I What I claim as new, and desire to secure by have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of Letters Patent, is-

In combination with the sill A, standards B B, braces O 0, cap D, and cross-bar E, the rails G G, when the latter are notched to receive the standards and each other thewhole March, 1873.

JOHN W. MATHEWS. Witnesses:

WM. K. ELLIs,

JOHN A. ELLIs. 

